Dune: Part Two - Denis Villeneve
We pick up right where part one ended. The story starts with Paul and Jessica Atreides trying to be accepted by the Fremen.
The stories run parallel but take very different paths. Paul is trying to get them to accept him by learning their ways and joining their fighting efforts against the Harkonnen.
Jessica is trying to dominate them through fear and coercion. In her defense, she has little choice when she is offered the job of reverend mother.
It’s either that or die. So not a choice. But what she does after that is vastly different from Paul’s approach to the Fremen. We also see two other stories playing out.
The first is Feyd taking over as govener of Dune and trying to subdue the Fremen. The second is the Emporer and the Princess trying to deal with the fallout of the eradicating House Atreides.
Both stories are interesting and give us different intrigues into the political system in the galaxy.
Through Feyd we see the Bene Gesserit looking to use him as another option for the chosen one. Easier to control.
We also see his uncle, Baron Harkonnen, explaining their positioning to take down the emperor. Through the scenes with the emperor and the princess, we see two very different ways of looking at the turmoil unfolding around the House Atreides massacre.
She feels much more pragmatic about the whole affair. Interested in what has happened to Paul and what all of this could mean.
As soon as she sees that the emperor has lost she sides with Paul. Paul’s story amongst the Fremen is much more linear than his mother’s.
We see him rising through the ranks of fighters as more and more people accept him. It’s not only accepting him, they are beginning to believe.
Jessica’s story is much more insidious as she takes up the propaganda role of the Bene Gesserit. She uses fear to turn the Fremen into believers of Paul as Muad’dib.
Chani can see the manipulation and faith as control and wants no part in it. This causes a huge rift between her and Paul.
Paul starts this way but shifts when he sees that there is no further course of action. He begins to have visions of the horror he will cause if he takes up the mantel.
This is such an amazing story to see unfold. Paul can see himself becoming the villain but feels that there is no other option available to him.
And this is exactly what happens at the end of the film as he launches the holly war across the galaxy. The use of Stilgar as a mentor figure and the face of the fundamentalists gives us a way to identify with them that we wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.
The visuals continued to be spectacular. Some standouts for me were the wells in the desert. The Harkonen world was great as well.
Almost sepia with burning black and white. It has been a long time since I’ve seen colour used in such a great way.
There is one further creepy part of the film. Paul and his mum can talk to his unborn sister and it is very off-putting.
The film is very long but there is nothing that can be cut. It is all vital. Great stuff and I highly recommend watching it.
